Note: The Full Moon lasts for 3 nights, not just one. Or at least that's what I've been taught... #^^#

How now, Master Brook! Master Brook, the matter will be known to-night, or never.
Be you in the Park about midnight, at Herne's oak, and you shall see wonders.
-Falbrook in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act V, Scene I, line 6

Midnight
By Icka! M. Chif


It was around midnight, on the first night of the full moon when I first saw him.

I couldn't sleep for some reason, and feeling a bit restless, had opened my bedroom window to let some of the night air in. The allure of the moon had called to me, and I sat there watching the clouds and the moon light cast playful shadows over the city.

A dancing shadow caught my eye, and I watched it, thinking it was some stray tanuki climbing over the rooftops. If it was a tanuki, I began to idly wonder if I should put some bread out for it at night, maybe make it a permanent night visitor.

Then the clouds shifted, revealing the shadow in all its glory.

At first I thought I was seeing things, a human, no, a teenage boy caper from rooftop to rooftop in some sort of bizarre jubilant dance. But no boy I've seen has ever had large pointed ears that twitched this way and that, nor a tail that moved with a joyful life of it's own.

My first impulse was to believe that it was some sort of trick, or illusion. Then he paused, his arms stretched out as if to embrace the moon, the faintest sounds of exhilarated laughter echoing into my ears and I knew what he really was.

A youko.

I watched in amazement as he began to move again, continuing his mad-cap dance over the sleeping rooftops of the city. I watched until he disappeared out of sight, gone to where ever it is that youko go.

My thoughts turned towards bed, and the morning and I finally climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin, a silly grin on my face. I wanted to tell Kaito, but he was gone until the weekend at a family reunion.

Which was a pity. Being the son of a magician, he would probably be the only one who would believe me if I told someone.

I decided not to tell anyone, and save it for when Kaitou came back. He'd probably even be able to tell me what kind of youko it was.

~

It was around midnight on the second night of the full moon, and I couldn't fall asleep again. I hadn't told any one of the previous night's experience, the memory somehow too precious to tell like school yard gossip.

Once again, I opened the window and watched the interplay between clouds and moon. The night was calmer than the previous night, a bit warmer too. Part of me wanted to see if my visitor would appear again.

Movement by the old tree fort that Kaito and I built when we were younger caught my attention, and I froze, hoping it was the youko again.

I recognised the shadow as Kaito. I was equally disappointed and happy. It wasn't the youko, but if Kaito was back early, I could tell him about the youko I had seen.

Then he stepped out of the tree's shadows and I realised that I had been mistaken.

It was most definitely Kaito. I could recognise him anywhere.

But he was also the youko I had seen. White ears I had never seen before twitched on the top of his head, one ear turned in my direction. His tail whipped around his legs as he crouched down, looking much like a cat going for a mouse. He quickly and silently moved forward, then sprang on an unsuspecting shadow.

The shadow let out a squawk, and a small boy with large batwings took to the air. Kaitou laughed and gave chase, bounding over the rooftops, following the spectre of death. They were joined by a few other people, one of whom looked like it was a humanoid cat.

I went to sleep feeling more than a little disturbed.

The next morning I went to the library and read as many books on myths, ghost stories and as many kinds of youko as I could find.

~

On the third night of the full moon, I couldn't sleep yet again. Questions circled in my head and I finally gave up on sleep just before midnight and sat next to the window again.

The night was breezy, with the scent of rain in the air. A storm was coming.

With a fierce determination, I kept my eyes from the tree fort. I didn't want to see if he was there again.

That lasted until I heard something move. I looked down anyway and saw Kaito profiled in the shadows again. He looked dressed up from what I could see, a white suit jacket that matched his ears and a tie. He appeared to be looking for something.

He turned his head and I saw the shimmer of glass reflecting off of one eyes. It caught the moonlight, flashing at me like a monstrous glowing eye. For a brief moment, I was afraid. Then he turned his head away and stepped out into the light.

The moonlight glowed off of his white outfit, almost making him look like a living moonbeam himself. A large white cape bustled out behind him, frolicking in the wind, his tail intermingling with it.

Picked up a top hat that was laying next to the fence, and put it on, hiding his ears. Once again, he glanced up in my direction, a gentle expression his face.

The light hit his monocle again and I realised I was looking at Kid the Phantom Thief.

Who was a youko.

Who was Kaito.

My best friend and maybe something more.

I went to bed shaking and tried very hard not to think or feel. I think it worked.

~

At midnight, the night after the full moons, there was no one outside my window. It was pouring rain, and impossible to see much. I was furious, but also a little grateful. I wanted to see Kaitou, but at the same time, I didn't.

~

It wasn't until midnight the next night that I heard something outside of my bedroom window again. At first I ignored it. I had had enough of fantasies in the moonlight. But then something started rapping on my window. Soft at first, then more insistently.

Frustrated, and -knowing- I wouldn't be able to get some sleep until I knew what was going on, I stormed to my window, drew back the curtains and opened the glass. At first, nothing greeted me but the lights of the city. Then I looked up.

The Kid looked down at me from the rooftop.

"What do you want?" I growled, allowing the frustration I felt into my voice.

He shrugged, a blank mask on his face.

"What do you fear the most?" He asked.

I stared at him, recognising the question. It had been a common theme in many of the ghost stories. It was a game, a challenge. If I answered wrong, he'd leave. and I realised that the thought scared me.

My head drooped as I closed my eyes. "If I were a smart, or clever person..." I said slowly "I would say sweet buns, or gold, or some sort of treasure. But I'm not."

"Aa." I could practically hear him nod. "So what do you fear the most then?"

It took me several minutes before I could respond. I looked up and met his eyes. "You."

Several things flickered behind his eyes, too fast for me to read. At the moment, I was scared of him. Sure, he was Kaito, my long time friend and companion. At the same time, I had just discovered there so many things I didn't know about him. Things that terrified me.

But I also feared loosing him too. Despite the fact that I was trying hard not to shake, or start screaming at him at the top of my lungs, I didn't want him to leave me alone either.

The game wasn't over yet. I still had my half to play. "What do you fear the most?" I asked, attempting to match his tone of nonchalance. I don't think it worked very well.

He looked out over the sky, not looking at me. "You." He finally admitted.

I smiled faintly. "Then I suppose we're stuck with each other, aren't we?" That was the way the game was played.

"Yeah." He finally looked down and met my eyes. "I guess we are." He looked so nervous about it, and I realised at that moment that he was probably more scared of me and my reaction, then I was of him.

I grinned at him. "Would you like to come in?" I offered, enjoying the way his eyes widen in surprise. It wasn't often that I got to knock him off balance.

He scaled down the rooftop, hanging next to the window like a monkey. "Thanks for the offer, but I'd better not. It's late, and you should be asleep."

I snorted. "And you shouldn't be?" The banter was comfortable. It had been years since he had snuck out of the house to talk to me at night and it felt good to do so again. And it felt nice that he was concerned about me.

"I'm used to it." He grinned, like the Kid that everyone was familiar with. "You're not."

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of things I'm getting used to." Youko playing tag on the rooftops, my best friend being my most hated enemy, seeing the night life in a whole new meaning.

"Yeah." His expression sobered a bit. "We can talk... later. Preferably when it's day light."

A yawn blind sided me, and I nodded. "Alright. But you're not getting out of it Kuroba Kaito Kid!" I warned. "I know where you live, I have a mop, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

The threat was only mock serious. Just because we were postponing stuff didn't mean I wasn't going to eventually rip him a new one for lying to me like this.

His face lit up with silent amusement. "Just so long as we're in agreement then."

"We are." I nodded seriously.

"Good. Then I'll wish you a good night, and a pleasant slumber, Ao-chan." He looked ready to push off and disappear into the night air.

"Kaito?" I delayed him. "Can you do me a favour?"

He paused. "Depends-?"

I blushed. "Can I touch your ears?"

The grin on face nearly threatened to break it in half. He looked like reckless Kaito I knew then, even with the monocle obscuring his face. He took off the hat and leaned forward so that his furry ears were within touching distance. "Alright."

I blushed again and brushed them with cautious fingers. The fur was soft, much like the hair on the rest of his head, but much shorter. They were warm and twitched in response to my touch.

"Thanks." I pulled my hands back.

"You're welcome." I couldn't tell in the moonlight, but it appeared that he was blushing as he put his hat back on. He then smiled at me, a smile full of promises and mysteries, questions and answers, of different worlds and more night time visits. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Ao-chan?"

I nodded, barely suppressing a shiver of excitement. I wasn't scared, more like elated. "I'll see you then, Kaito. Sleep well."

"You too." He pushed off from the house, his glider snapping open and catching the breeze like a pair of cloth covered angel wings.

I smiled and watched him sail out of sight, heading for his own house to sleep.

I think midnight has just become my favourite time of day.

Fin.


Tankui = Raccoon dog, native to Japan. They're also known for their shape shifting ablities.

I wasn't gonna write an Aoko fic for this series. Really. Especially not one where she finds out about Kitsune Kuroba Kaito Kid.
Then this whapped me upside the head over half hour after I was -supposed- to be in bed and demanded to be written. Immediately if not sooner. An hour later, this was done. _;; Plus side, I think my typing speed has increased!

Kinda feel that Aoko's 'voice' is off, but it is an AU. I guess... *scratches back of the head, embarrassed*

One of the common themes in Japanese ghost stories were of a man (different one ever time) who would run across a group of spirits or a deamon. The deamon/s would engage the human in conversation, then ask the human what they were afraid of. The human would reply that they were terrified of sweets, gold, food or something of that nature. The human would then ask the deamon/s what they were afraid of, and they would answer back with the truth.
The deamon/s would then pelt the human with what ever the human said they were afraid of and laugh. The human would run around, screaming and acting terrified while secretly gathering up whatever. The deamon/s would eventually catch on, and the clever human would then give the deamon/s what they said they were terrified of, thus scareing the deamon/s away.
Personally, I always thought the deamon/s got the bum end of the deal. ^^;;

'Youko' was used here instead of 'youkai' because Kurama, the Kitsune in Yu*Yu*Hakusho is usually referred to as a 'youko'.
'Youkai' seems to be more of an Inuyasha thing...